Processes and apparatus for the manufacture of concrete articles, particularly of reinforced concrete



F. O. MAILLARD May 9, 1961 1 2,983,021 FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF couc PROCESSES AND APPARATUS RETE ARTICLES, PARTICULARLY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE Filed Feb. 6, 1956 4 She ets-Sheet 1 F. o. MAILLARD 2,983,021 AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE LES, PARTICULARLY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm S 6 &5 E 9 1C 1 0 6R 9 6 1 a 9 F V. d a u 1- M F y 9, 1951 F. o. MAILLARD 2,983,021

PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE ARTICLES, PARTICULARLY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE Filed Feb. 6, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 M y 196! F. o. MAILLARD 2,983,021

PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE ARTICLES, PARTICULARLY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE Filed Feb. 6, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Unite States Patent Felix Oscar Maiilard, Paris, France, assignor to Industrial Development Co. (Establishment), Vaduz, Lieci tenstein, a body-corporate of Liechtenstein Filed Feb. 6, 1956, Ser. No. 563,766

Claims priority, application France Feb. 9, 1955 3 Claims. (Cl. 25-121 This invention relates to methods and apparatus for the manufacture of concrete articles, particularly rein forced concrete articles. More specifically, this invention relates to such articles as railway sleepers comprising a stay-bolt connecting the two blocks or tie-beams which serve as a support for each line of rails.

The method for the manufacture of the concrete articles, including reinforced concrete articles, of this invention comprises molding a mass of concrete in a mold into a shape having a cavity opening to the atmosphere and passing a gas such as air or steam through the molded concrete mass before the said mass has been allowed to set, thereby compacting the molded concrete mass and causing the excess moisture to be'immediately forced out from the so-rnolded mass and therebycausing the somolded concrete mass to set within 1 to 2 minutesafter the gas has been passed therethrough. The gas may be passed through the molded concrete mass from the wall surface, or surfaces, of the cavity to the outer mold wall surface, or surfaces, of the so-molded mass, or the gas may be passed through the molded concrete mass from the said outer wall surface, or surfaces to said wall surface, or'surfaces, of the cavity. With respect to the apparatus therefor, it comprises essentially a mold having an internal core, one of which has orifices, in the form of slits, holes, etc., for simultaneously permitting the exit of the gases and water from the molded concrete mass and retaining the molded concrete mass and the other of which comprises a wall, preferably deformable, permeable to gases passed through the molded concrete mass and capable of withstanding the gas under pressure. As a result of carrying out the methods of this invention utilizing the apparatus herein set forth, there is produced a molded concrete article which has 'a higher resistance to fracture than those similar shaped concrete articles fabricated in accordance with heretofore known methods utilizing heretofore known apparatus.

An object of this invention is to provide a method for producing high fracture-resistant molded concrete articles, particularly reinforced concrete articles, speedily and economically.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method of producing high fracture-resistant molded concrete railway sleepers comprising stay-bolts and tie-beams speedily and economically.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus for the speedy and economical production of high fracture-resistant molded concrete articles, particularly reinforced concrete articles.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus for the speedy and economical production of high fracture-resistant molded concrete railway sleepers comprising staybolts and tie-beams.

Other objects and features of my invention will become apparent from the following description which is not intended to be limiting but is set forth here to describe the preferred embodiments.

Figurel is a view in section of a molding apparatus for molding a concrete tubular stay-bolt.

Figures 2 and 3 are views'in section taken on lines 11-411 and III-III, respectively, on Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a stay-bolt of a railway sleeper.

Figure 5 is a view inelevation of a railway sleeper.

Figures 6, 7, and 8 are views in elevation, partially in section, of an apparatus for the production of a railway sleeper, each of said views showing the apparatus in a different working position.

Figure 9 is a view in section taken on lines IX-IX of Figure 6, showing the molds of the apparatus of Figures 68, inclusive.

In carrying out the methods of my invention, using the apparatus of my invention, a railway-sleeper of the type disclosed in French Patent No. 1,037,007, filed on May 11, 1951, is formed. The railway-sleeper of this invention comprises essentially a tubular stay-bolt 1 of concrete reinforced by longitudinal bars 2 projecting from the stay-bolt 1 and connected totie-beams 3v also of concrete, as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5. The tie-beams 3 are used as a support for each of a set of railway tracks and are provided with holes 32 to receive sleeper screws or similar joining members, either directly, thereby necessitating tapped holes, or indirectly, thereby necessitating the positioning of screwed cylindrical blocks in said holes.

. In the latter case, the tapping is then made eccentric so as to permit the adjusting of the sleeper-screw in a lateral position by the simple rotation of the block in its housing. In forming the railway-sleeper in accordance with my invention, the following is carried out:

A concrete mass is molded in the shape of the staybolt and the tie-rods are positioned therein, said mass having a central cavity therethrough, as clearly shown in the drawings. Then, prior to the setting of the somolded mass, a gas, such as air or steam, is forced through the concrete mass, from the cavity to the outer surface thereof, thereby rendering the concrete mass compact and transuding the superfluous tempering water. In molding the tie-beams, holes are provided therein, and a gas, such as air or steam, is forced through the mass from the outer surfaces thereof to the holes, as will be fully set forth hereinafter.

The selection of the direction of passage of the'gas depends on constructional considerations.

In the case of the stay-bolt 1, for example, it is desired for the tie-rods 2 to be located at the periphery of the stay-bolt, but that they must be completely embedded in the concrete. Therefore, the gas is carried to pass from the central space towards the outside, in such a manner as to render the concrete compact in the vicinity of the outer walls of the stay-bolt, that is to say on contact with the longitudinal tie-rods.

In the case of the tie-beams 3, it is desirable that the surface of the holes 32, particularly when tapped, should be quite smooth. It is therefore of advantage to cause the gas to pass from the outside inwards so as to render the mass of concrete compact at the contact of the molding cores corresponding with these holes.

Further, it is desirable that the horizontal supporting,

crete and by a tube permeable to this gas (the tubebeing Patented May 9, 1961 the other constituents of thecon- V perforated or porous) and preferably constructed of a deformable material such as rubber, natural or synthetic, said tube being capable of being placed into the interior of the mold, preferably along its axis, and being connected with a source of said gas under pressure.

According to an advantageous method of construction of this apparatus, a mold 5, having a bore of the desired shape for the stay-bolt 1, for example a cylindrical shape, and opening at its ends by apertures 6 and 7 of a slightly smaller diameter than the actual internal diameter of the mold, is carried by a single structure (shown diagrammatically at 4 in Figs. 2 and 3) and two double action screw-jacks 8 and 9 aligned with the mold, the piston rods 19 and 11 of said jacks having plugs 12 and 13 suitable for closing the apertures 6 and 7, respectively, of the mold, the axis of the assembly being preferably located vertically.

Referring first to the mold, this is divided into a predetermined number of separable elements, preferably into three elements a, 5b and 50 (Figs. 2 and 3), one of which 5a is integral with the frame 4, the other two 5b and 5c are hinged to the first, on the hinges 14, of which the pivotal axes are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mold. The mold is provided with quickaction closing means comprising, for example, as shown, threaded rods 15 hinged to one of the movable elements 5b and grips integral with the other movable element 5c, a nut 17 providing for the necessary tightening. Each of the elements 5a, 5b and 5c is formed by an assembly of plates 18, preferably of metal, arranged in such a manner as to leave between them slits 19 communicating, on the one hand, with the interior of the mold, and on the other hand, with longitudinal exhaust passages 20. For obtaining these slits 19, it is possible either to interpose between the plates 18, on the side opposite the interior of the mold, laminae 21, preferably metallic, of a thickness equivalent to the desired width of the slits, for example of 0.6 mm. or to remove a predetermined quantity of material from the plates when machining the tail-races 20. Said plates 18 and laminae 21 may be assembled by means of bolts 35. The elements 511, 5b and 5c bear, at their axial ends, shoulders such as 22 (Fig. 3) the internal surfaces of which limit the above mentioned apertures 6 and 7 and which are provided with longitudinal grooves 23 suit able for receiving the stay-bolt tie-rods 2 and thus determine with exactness the position of these stay-bolts in the mold.

As regards the means for supplying air or other gas under pressure to the interior of the mold, they are constituted by a tube 24 of rubber or an analogous pliant and deformable material (leather, textile, plastic matter or the like), drilled with a large number of small holes or slits, or which is porous, threaded on a perforated. preferably metallic, tube 25, hereinafter called branch, this branch being carried or constituted by the rod 10 of the lower jack 8. However, it is not excluded from constructing this tube of a rigid material or to reinforce it internally and/or externally by a rigid body.

The branch 25 is supplied with air through a flexible member 26. The upper part of the branch 25 is capped by a plug 27, preferably of steel, hereinafter called shell which is threaded on the end of the tube 24. The plug 12 is located at the bottom of the perforated part of the branch 25, this plug being preferably formed by a pad of rubber, leather or similar material, provided at its periphery with notches for the passage of tie-rods 2.

The plug 13 is formed in an analogous manner as the plug 12, but its support 28 is recessed for the passage of the shell 27.

The apparatus may be completed by a vibrator 29 located on the frame or on the mold. Said vibrator is actuated so as to act preferably in one direction and preferably also in a vertical direction.

Cit

As a result a process and a device are obtained of which the method of operation is the following.

The bundle of tie-rods 2 is combined separately, preferably by means of a helicoidal band 30 located around these tie-rods. Around the band may also be located a sleeve 31 of jute cloth or of any other fibre or a metallic mesh. When the jacks have been retracted, the mold being opened, the skeleton thus formed is so placed in position that the tie-rods 2 engage in the slots 23 of the mold and the band 30 rests on the lower shoulder 22 and the mold is closed. The lower jack 8 is actuated so as to engage the branch 25 in the mold until the pad of the plug 12, in contact with the lower part of the mold, swells laterally so as to provide a joint against the mold, on the one hand, and against the branch 25, on the other hand. The desired quantity of concrete is introduced through the aperture 7 of the mold, whereupon the vibrator 29 is set in operation. The upper jack is then lowered until the pad of the plug 13, in contact with the concrete, swells whilst forming a joint. Compressed air is supplied to the branch 25. This air applies the tube 24, which distributes the air homogeneously upon the surface of the concrete, against the concrete. The air passes through the concrete and carries way the superfluous tempering water through the slits 19 and the trail-races 20. At the same time, the concrete is compressed against the walls of the mold by petrifying the sleeve 31. The tie-rods are thus completely encased in the interior of the mold. The upper jack is then raised and therewith the shell 27, the lower jack is then lowered. The tube 24, which is released by the removal of the shell, follows without difficulty. The stay-bolt is then extracted from the mold previously opened.

As a result of carrying out the foregoing process to make the stay-bolt, the so-formed staybolt can be removed within 1 to 2 minutes after the concrete has been poured and then immediately handled and transported, whereas stay-bolts made by the heretofore known processes using the heretofore known molding apparatus had to be allowed to set for at least 1 to 2 hours before being withdrawn from the molds.

As regards the tie-beams 3, use is advantageously made of an arrangement comprising two threaded cores 41, drilled with slits suitable for the outflow of the gas used and water, while retaining the other concrete components, and a mold having, on the one hand, rigid walls corresponding particularly to the supporting faces 33 and 34 of the tie beams and, on the other hand, having walls permeable to the gas used and constructed of a material preferably deformable, such as rubber, natural or synthetic, these walls being capable of being subjected to the action of an external force under pressure of the gas in question.

The mold for producing each tie-beam comprises a caisson 36 (Fig. 9), the middle part of the bottom 37 of which is adapted to serve as a molding surface at the upper supporting face 33 (see Fig. 5) of the tiebeams, and of which the terminal walls such as 38 are adapted to serve in part as molding surfaces for the internal and external lateral faces 39 and 40 of the tiebeams. Two threaded cores 41, corresponding with the tapped holes 32 of the tie-beam, pass through the bottom 37 of the caisson 36 and a removable lid 42, nuts 43 engaged on the cores 41 or any other means of rapid clamping serving to maintain the lid in position. The cores 41 are traversed by a central recess 44 emerging on the outside and communicating with the interior of the mold by laminary slits 45. The cores 41 are preferably formed by a bundle of bars of suitable shapes held spaced apart by laminae 46 (similar to the laminae 19 of the stay-bolt mold) and assembled by terminal collars 47.

The molding volume is limited laterally by perforated plates 49, preferably of metal, in the neighborhood of which are located membranes '48 permeable to gas. Volumes located in the interior of the mold, outside the molding volume, are connected by apertures 50 to a source of gas under pressure. The terminal wall of the mold, adapted to receive the stay-bolt, is provided with a suitable opening 51 capable of being closed on the stay-bolt by a removable device 52.

The molding device, such as described hereinbefore with reference to Fig. '9, is advantageously incorporated in a machine enabling the molding and the stripping operations of the sleepers to be effected in a cyclicmanncr when the stay bolts are made separately as hereinbefore described. i i

A machine such as illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 may essentially be'provided with a scaffolding frame 53, preferably sealed in the ground, and a cradle 54 mounted by means of crank pins 55, blocks 56 guided on the uprights of the scaffolding frame, so as to be capable of sliding vertically, said cradle 54 carrying at the desired spacing, two molding tie-beam devices 36. The cradle may be moved vertically by means of two jacks 57, each acting on a sliding block 56, the action of these two jacks being balanced by a mechanical countershaft device 58 and the cradle can be rocked through 180 about crank pins 55 for example, and preferably with the aid of a jack 59 of which the cylinder is integral with one of the sliding blocks 56 and the piston of which actuates a rack 60 gearing with a toothed sector 61 keyed to the corresponding crank pin of the cradle.

Finally the lids 42 of the molds may be moved, these lids being preferably suitably loaded, by means of a jack 62 and of a distant transmission 63 through a cable or the like.

The whole arrangement is completed by a vibrator 64 actuated by a motor 65 and acting on the molds 36, these latter and the vibrator being suspended resiliently on the cradle 54. The vibrator 64 is actuated in such a manner as to act preferably in a single direction and, preferably also, in a vertical direction. A passage located between the uprights of the scaffolding frame permits the circulation of movable stripping platforms such as 66.

As a result there is obtained a method and a machine of which the operative functioning is as follows.

The machine at the start is in the position illustrated in Fig. 6; the cradle is so directed that the molding devices are at the upper part thereof and it is locked downwardly against supports 67 secured to the scaffolding frame by means of translation jacks 57. The cores 41 project into the interior of the molding devices. The covers 42 are held raised by the jack 62.

The stay-bolt 1 is then placed in position as shown in Fig. 6, by placing it on the bottom of the apertures 51, and then the closure devices 52 are positioned. A predetermined quantity of concrete is poured into each of the molding devices 36 in which have been placed in readiness the ends of the straps. The lids 42 are lowered and they are locked by means of nuts 43. The machine is then in the position illustrated in Fig. 7.

The vibrator 64 is set in operation and gas under pressure, preferably air, is caused to penetrate through. the apertures 50 of the molding device (Fig. 9). The air passes through the plates 49, the diaphragms 48 and in a very homogeneous manner, through the concrete masses, and escapes whilst entraining superfluous tempering water through the laminary slits 45 and the openings 44 of the cores 41. The concrete settles on contact with the cores 41 and the diaphragms 48 follow the shrinkage of the concrete. When air only passes out through the openings 44, the gas circulation is stopped, and then the vibration is caused to cease.

After removal of the nuts 43, the lids 42 are raised and the closure devices 52 are removed, the jacks 57 are set to exhaust so as to stop the pressure of the cradle on the supports 67. With the aid of the jack 59, the cradle 54 is rocked through 180 about its trunnions 55 and, by means of the jacks'5 7, is lowered on to the stripping platform 66. The stay-bolt thus obtained is released by unscrewing the cores 41 and the cradle is finally raised by means of the jacks 57. The machine is then in the position illustrated in Fig. 8. The cradle is rocked through The platform 66 is advanced slightly. The machine is again in the positicn;illustrated in Fig. 6.

The hereinabove described operations are then renewed in the cyclic manner.

It is to be noted that the same source of airunder pressure may be used-for the treatment of concrete as for the operation of the jacks 57, 59 and 62.

It will be understood and as a result of the foregoing description, the invention is not limited to those of its methods of application, nor to those of the modes of construction of its various par-ts, which have been more specially considered; on 'thecontrary, it embraces all the variations, especially that where the invention is applied to the fabrication of concrete articles other than those hereinabove particularly referred to, in particular the manufacture of all articles comprising at least one open cavity on the outside and such as tubes, pipes, hollow or in part hollow poles, etc.

I claim:

1. A method of manufacturing railroad sleepers of reinforced concrete comprising forming a tubular crossmember having reinforcing rods extending on each side beyond its extremities by pouring concrete into a mold having the reinforcing rods positioned therein and passing air under pressure through the so-poured concrete before the setting of said so-poured concrete, thereby expelling the excess water from said so-poured and soformed concrete, and allowing said air treated concrete to set, arranging said so-formed reinforced tubular crossmember between two molds having the shape of tiebraces and positioning the respective extending reinforcing rods in each of said molds, pouring concrete into each of said molds over said so-extending reinforcing rods, and passing air under pressure through the sopoured concrete before the setting of said so-poured concrete, thereby expelling the excess water from said sopoured and so-formed concrete and thereby forming a unitary fracture-resistant reinforced concrete railroad sleeper.

2. A method of manufacturing railroad sleepers of re inforced concrete comprising forming a tubular cross- Inember having reinforcing rods extending on each side beyond its extremities by pouring concrete into a permeable wall mold with expandable internal core and having reinforcing rods positioned therein and then passing air under pressure through the so-poured concrete before the core and positioning the respective extending reinforcing rods in each of said molds, pouring concrete into each of said molds over said so-extending reinforcing rods, and passing air under pressure through the so-poured concrete before the setting of said so-poured concrete, thereby expelling the excess water from said so-poured concrete and thereby forming a unitary fracture-resistant reinforced concrete railroad sleeper.

3. In an apparatus for manufacturing cementitious railway ties, the combination, comprising, an annularly shaped mold having a cylindrically shaped expandable central core, said mold including an external cylindrically shaped wall, said wall consisting of one fixed portion and two movable portions, means for pivoting said two movable portions about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said mold, said fixed portion and said two movable portions providing said annularly shaped mold when in closed position, a pair of oppositely working piston rods on each end of said mold, one of said piston rods being hollow and including a portion having lateral openings in and through the wall thereof, sealing plugs carried by said piston rods and having openings therethrough for receiving concrete reinforcing rods and contacting the ends of said mold and sealing the ends of said mold and retaining the material Within the mold during expansion of said core, said expandable central core consisting of one of said piston rods being hollow and including a portion having lateral openings in and through the wall thereof and a foraminous rubber tube surrounding and spaced from said hollow piston rod having the lateral openings therethrough, means for forcing compressed air into said hollow piston rod, means in said external cylindrically shaped wall for removing excess liquid from the annular portion defined by said external cylindrically shaped wall and said foraminous rubber tube, and a shell capping the end of said hollow piston rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Larson Nov. 23, Kelsing Mar. 1, Camp May 13, Guy June 10, Venzie Apr. 12, Gloeser June 10, Vokes Apr. 18, Baily Feb. 16, Dubbs Nov. 7, Gagon Jan. 16, Delvaux Jan. 16, Creskoff May 19, Dubbs Sept. 1, Dubbs Sept. 9,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 25, Great Britain May 13, Italy Sept. 3, Switzerland Aug. 2, 

